But there's at least a decision visible at the end of the tunnel. And that's key a step for a project that had its future thrown into doubt months ago when Hogan won Maryland's gubernatorial election.

Hogan is reviewing the 14.1-mile east-west Red Line light rail project planned for Baltimore as well as its 16-mile New Carrollton-to-Bethesda Purple Line cousin planned for outside of Washington D.C., he said Thursday. He's leaving funding for the projects in his budget proposal during his review, but he's not committing to keeping that money there.

Hogan previously has been skeptical about the projects' high cost and has resisted pressure to back them. The Red Line's price tag is estimated at $2.9 billion, and the Purple Line's is pegged at $2.45 billion. Meanwhile, speculation has been that Hogan wants to shift state transportation spending to roads and counties.

The governor will consult with community members and transit experts before he decides on the light rail projects, his budget secretary, David Brinkley, said.

"He's reaching out to some other people that are transportation experts who will give him some input on exactly where and how we should deal with these projects," Brinkley said. "The key point for you to take home is that the moneys for that have been bookmarked and have been saved for capital projects and capital programs."

Time will tell whether light rail proves to be the capital projects receiving those moneys. Hogan has expressed an interest in giving counties more transit funds, State Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said after being briefed on the Hogan budget.

"He wants to provide additional transportation funding for the counties," Miller said. "That's not in his budget at all. And again, he hasn't made any decision on the Purple Line, Red Line, but he has kept funding in for those two projects. This is just the first step of a very difficult process."